Reflective Writing: Exploring Hindu Culture and Identity

This reflective writing piece explores the author's personal experiences and feelings within the context of Hindu culture, adhering to the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. The author begins by defining culture and highlighting the symbiotic relationship between culture and religion, specifically focusing on Hindu culture. The author reflects on how their upbringing in a vegetarian Hindu family, influenced by the 'live and let live' philosophy, has shaped their outlook on life. The reflection includes an evaluation of how Hindu customs and traditions influence the author's perspective, and an analysis of the secular nature of Hindu culture and its universal appeal. The conclusion emphasizes how being raised in a Hindu family has broadened the author's vision and acceptance of diverse cultures. The author outlines a future action plan to further understand Hindu culture from a global perspective. The paper references scholarly articles to support the reflection.

Running head: HINDU CULTURE
HINDU CULTURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Description
Culture and religion have a symbiotic relationship with each other and each of the
institutions tend to influence each other. Culture gets influenced by religious faith as religious
customs are an integral part of cultural which is essentially composed of practices or customs
and beliefs which have their basis in religion. On the other hand culture has been provided an
institutional set up by religion as religion has provided a codified appropriated form of the
cultural practices (Ganeri, 2017).
In this particular piece of reflective writing I shall be providing an account of Hindu
culture, the religious and culture background to which I belong to. Like all cultures, Hindu
culture is also a compendium of several cultural values, and the central value of Hindu Culture,
‘live and let live’ describes it the best. Hinduism is actually not a religion, but a way of life
which is reflective of the fluidity, the liberal and tolerant nature that Hinduism embodies (Ganeri,
2017).
Feelings
I come from a family wherein the members are vegetarian and I feel that has been
influenced by the Hindu culture, especially the ‘live and let live’ philosophy. We believe that
animals too are made up of flesh and blood like us humans and they feel the same as we humans
do and plant life bear the fruit for us humans to cherish the gifts of God. This means that one
must live up to the ‘live and let live’ philosophy in all aspects of life (Krishnaveni, Kehoe &
Kumaran, 2017).

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Evaluation
Basically, the customs and traditions that are followed in Hindu culture influences my
personal outlook towards life. Since Hinduism is based on ‘live and let live’ philosophy, hence I
do not oppose the choice of the ones who eat non-vegetarian food, even though I refrain from it
(Ganeri, 2017).
Analysis
Now I see that life is much easier if we do not bother the choices others make and the
western concept of individualism is something which is very much immanent in the Hindu
philosophy of ‘live and let live’, it is something which I have never realized before. I had to
indulge in deeper study of hindu philosophy and make an attempt to relate it to the western
liberal philosophy. I have also seen that the hindu culture is essentially secular in nature as it has
the universal appeal (Goyal, 2017).
Conclusion
Being born and brought up in a Hindu family has thus not limited my outlook towards
people belonging to other cultures, rather it has broadened my vision and has enabled me to
accept people of other cultures who might have a value predisposition, cultural habits and
customs fundamentally different from that of my cultural background.
Action Plan
In future thus I shall try to see my Hindu culture with a broader perspective by means of
trying to see transcend myself above the parochial boundaries of religious and cultural

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comparison. Rather I shall try to locate the similarities and the applicabilities of Hindu Culture in
the global context in order to ensure that harmony is maintained.

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References
Ganeri, J. (Ed.). (2017). The Oxford handbook of Indian philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Goyal, P. (2017). Sustainability Evidences from Hindu Philosophy. EVIDENCE BASED
MANAGEMENT, 315.
Krishnaveni, G. V., Kehoe, S. H., & Kumaran, K. (2017). Religious Variations in Vegetarian
Diets and Impact on Health Status of Children: Perspectives From Traditional Vegetarian
Societies. In Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention (pp.
107-116). Academic Press.